Banyan Tree

This morning, before going on our field visit to SMILE, a local MFI where we would see an urban JLG (joint liability group) meet, we decided to try our luck and go see the famous Banyan Tree.

I guess you might be wondering why I wanted to see a tree in some weird garden in Chennai. So, for one thing, I really like trees, especially old ones, and this one is supposed to be the oldest banyan tree on the planet (450 years old! Imagine, since 1660's it's been growing in the same place. Makes you think). Second, I had heard a lot about banyan trees but never seen one. And third, there's just not that much to do in Chennai... So, why not? It should be worth a 45 min rickshaw drive in traffic and car fumes, no?

For those who have never heard of a banyan tree before, here are some facts: It grows to a height of more than 21 meters and lives for many years. Its branches spread out and send trunk like roots to the ground in order to support itself. These type of trees are very typical in Southeast Asia and have an important place in eastern religions and mythology. In hinduism the banyan tree is considered sacred, Shiva in one of his incarnations is nearly always depicted sitting in silence under the banyan with rishis at His feet. It is thought of as perfectly symbolizing eternal life due to its seemingly unending expansion. It is also it thought to be a wish-giving tree. In contemporary India, the banyan is the national tree. Its interlinked roots and branches are often used as a symbol to describe the country's unity within its diversity.The word banyan comes from 'banyans' or 'banians', hindu traders seen resting or carrying out their business under the tree by portuguese sailors; the term spread and came to signify the tree itself.

The banyan tree is also famous from Robinson Crusoe, who built his house on one; from the series Lost (apparently the characters take shelter in a banyan tree when the monster is chasing them? -not a big fan of the show, sorry); and from other things like the Australian "Banyan Rig", casual (and often traditionally tasteless) clothes worn for BBQs on deserted beaches (!); or The Economist's weekly column on Asian affairs.

We got to the place after various detours to find it closed (again), but this time we convinced the guard to let us in (a smile and teary eye can take you very far). The tree is in the garden of the Teosophical Society (which deserves a complete post), a very large estate that has many prayer halls (among them parsi, liberal catholic and others) amidst plants and birds. It is a very serene place; you could actually think it is uninhabited if not for the casual person every now and then.


After following the signs "To the big banyan tree", we found it in the middle of a small field. The way the branches have grown and the roots have developed it looks as if there were many trees in a circle, but in reality it is only one. Underneath it lie dried leaves where the light that filters from above forms shapes that constantly change. You cannot hear anything except the cicadas and the cries of birds. It is a beautiful place.

PS All of what you see in the picture is the banyan tree, it is a mini-forest